How do you have a personal relationship with G (page 3)

BurnTheShips

I doubt a Muslim or a Chinese citizen would view that as an authority.

Needless to say, Chinese people are not monolithic. There are millions of Christians over there as it has throughout that part of Asia for a very long time.

BTS

quietlyleaving

as soon as a relationship becomes personal then it stops being about God

Now that's an interesting idea to ponder.

I very much doubt that ancient monotheistic Jews or early Christians would recognise their religion(s) in this modern talk of "personal relationship".

yes narkissos - in fact the idea is borne out of my engagement with ancient Jewish perspectives through the writings of Emanuel Levinas and through reading a little history regarding judeaism

reniaa

Is God about what God can do for us then? Is God oblige to kowtow to our wishes before we gift him with our faith?

I think once you start asking what God can do for you and witholding belief on receipt of some personal point of what you expect from God then I think it's a hard position to work from. Certainly hard to keep any faith. I mean even if we had Jesus and miracles happening all around us would our faith be still given subject to certain requirements of God expected by us?

Jews witheld faith in Jesus as Messiah simply because he didn't fulfil what they wanted rather he did what God his father purposed.

Reniaa

Spike Tassel

It is true that praying to God did not stop your sick father from dying, nor stop you from going through a divorce, nor prevent your children from marrying individuals which you prayed that they would not marry. While this is true, your personal relationship with God has NOT been a one-way street, actually.

God has spoken to you by means of the Bible and what you've heard and seen about God and His Word. And you have prayed to God, likely about your sick father, your wife's actions (and yours) which led to your divorce, and about your children and those they chose to marry. While this is inferred from your comments, there has been freedom of choice which has resulted in the things that you appear to have prayed NOT to come true. But prayers to God need to have follow-up, some of which has not been granted to you.

For instance, you have not been given the power to STOP your father's sickness from culminating in his death. Nor have you been given the power to MAKE your wife stay married to you. Nor have you been given the power to reason with your children (nor their subsequent mates) such that they would CHOOSE to your liking. These are NOT the prayers God would fulfill. They are NOT in line with His will. Your examples show that you have MUCH to learn about which prayers He listens to, and HOW he answers the ones He does.

What God would answer is if you prayed that you could accept the responsibility of your OWN actions. By exposing yourself to His Word and applying it to your attitude and actions, God would prove His power and love to you. In this way, you could gradually accept that the free will decisions of others have NOT been, nor are they GOING to be exactly what you would choose yourself, and sometimes quite the opposite, even as this Post of mine might not have been what you thought you would get.

It is along the lines of the oft-quoted (not on JWN, mind you) "serenity prayer", which says something like "God, grant me the serenity to accept the changes that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." The IDEA is sound, though just praying it by rote is NOT.

Wisdom from Jehovah [God], applied responsibly by ourselves to the situations we are in and must face, will help us to imitate God's ways, access the power of the holy spirit, and thus help us to draw ever closer to God, and He to us. The letter of James, Jesus' half-brother, is very helpful regarding our relationship with both God and neighbour, as is Galatians chapter 5.

Black Sheep

It's a bit difficult to have a loving relationship with someone who is going to kill you if you don't do everything he says he is going to do.

Threats of death didn't do the trick for my father and he still hasn't managed to undestand why.

Cheers

Chris

Spike Tassel

Vengeance belongs to Jehovah, not any man, even your father

reniaa

hi spike

very good point he is asking for God to interfear with other people's personal freewill of choice which is flawed and never going to happen even when we are perfect that freewill will apply.

Hi blacksheep

you make a good point but then isn't a true believer in God someone that has that belief written in love on their hearts so the threat of death is meaningless? I mean if we did have a date for armageddon wouldn't that just prove people will do enough to save themselves. But in not allowing us knowledge of the date God is making sure our belief is about total faith in his purposes?

Reniaa

Spike Tassel

Right. The Scripture that backs Reniaa's point that "a true believer in God is someone that has that belief written in love on their hearts, so the threat of death is meaningless" is at 1 John 4:18, which is translated in the NWT [including expanded footnote] as follows:— There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint [Or, "checking; correction; punishment." Literally, "lopping off." Greek, ko´la·sin. Compare Matthew 25:46 where the same Greek word occurs.]. Indeed, he that is under fear has not been made perfect in love.

dutchstef

Yaeh right spike! I don't think so....

It's a bit to simple.....

What you actualy say if you reed trough the lines:

You have nothing to fear as long as you adjust yourself to anything god( and WTS would say the GB)asks of you, because he loves you...

Tell that to the poor or ill people in this world!!!!

BTW: Asked this before, are you and reniaa friends, familie, maybe the same person? Or are you still in the BORG?

frankiespeakin

Well my god the one I'm thinking of it is hard to have a personal relationship with because he's so busy running the universe he ain't got time for little o me.

I suppose I could have a personal relationship if I made some profound changes in the way i imagine god,, then I could perhaps draw a little closers make him on my side all the time,,see the world the way I see it,,I think I might have a tendency to make him my great big sugar daddy in the sky,,just make a wish and I get it,,but how long could I go on deluding myself, when day after day none of my wishes are coming true,,and soon I'd be back to reality.

O I can never imagine a jealous god, or one that is always demanding exclusive devotion with threatening acts revenge, for those that choose another deity,, he's to prickly for me to draw close to, too demanding.

How do you have a personal relationship with G

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